Everyone knows the common cuts, sold at most grocery stores and butchers:
Porthouse
T-bone
Flank
Ribeye
Chuck
Brisket
Sirloin
Ribs
etc.


But several years ago, I was introduced to Tri-Tip, a cut that I was unfamiliar with. I was immediately sold, since it represented what is effectively a small brisket that can be smoked in the exact same manner. You end up with hunk of smoked beef that's ~90% as good as a brisket with about 10% the time and effort.

Since discovering tri-tip, I've smoked exactly one brisket, and have no plans to do another anytime soon. The value for effort just isn't there compared to a tri-tip. Tri-tip is now my go-to.


The other night, I was introduced to Featherblade, which is a small and tender cut from the shoulderblade area. Again, I had never even heard of that before, but it was great.


So now I'm wondering... What else am I missing?

What are your favorite less common/unheard of cuts of beef, and how do you like to prepare them?

My FIL is a big fan of tri-tip, and our local grocery didn't carry it. He talked to the meat dept & got them to start carrying it.

Your common list doesn't include NY Strip, which is my go-to for 'regular' steaks.
More consistently comes out better than a ribeye, for me, with the same prep.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Your common list doesn't include NY Strip

Yeah, it wasn't meant to be exhaustive.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
My FIL is a big fan of tri-tip, and our local grocery didn't carry it. He talked to the meat dept & got them to start carrying it.

If you have access to a Costco or Sam's Club, they typically carry tri-tips. Otherwise, none of my local grocery stores do, but you can get them from independent butchers. (I'm lucky enough to have two fantastic multi-generation butcher shops in the area, and they can get you anything.)

Skirt is similar to flank. Marinade overnight and grill fast for carne asada add some veggies folks can make their own fajita or similar.

Regarding Tri tip:
I grew up in CA getting a NY or Ribeye was a treat. It was always tri tip. Can grill in 40 minutes and have leftovers for a sandwich the next day. And I could get for a few dollars a pound.

Move to FL and half the meat cutters in the supermarkets are ignorant of the cut. The other half day yorhbfeom CA aren’t you ?

We were at the closest Costco up in Mobile AL (run up there every 2 months or so). And I happen tk see a nest guy. Ask him if he ever gets tri tip. He asks if I’m from Ca. Sheepishly I say yeah don’t hold it against me. He says he’s from Northern Cal himself and is upset he can’t get tri tip. Even Costco has an east coast /west coast thing. Like 2pac and Biggie ? Anyway i encouraged him to tell whoever was in charge to try to get it. He wasn’t optimistic. When I do find it it’s with a. Complete fat cap I need to trim but the discount grocery store I find it at usually sells it for 5.99 a pound so that’s a great price.

Oxtail, tongue and cheek.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
Oxtail

I've heard of oxtail before, but only in the connotation of Asian-style soup. Is that's the only/primary way to prepare it?

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
tongue

There's a large Hispanic population in the area, with lots of authentic taquerias around. So Lengua tacos/tortas are pretty common around here.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:



So now I'm wondering... What else am I missing?

What are your favorite less common/unheard of cuts of beef, and how do you like to prepare them?

If you have never had Hanger Steak, you are missing out!

What Is a Hanger Steak?

If you've got a willing butcher, you can try asking for Chuck Eye which is RibEye at a discount because it's on the tender end of Chuck right next to the Ribeye.

Flat Iron steak is also cut from the shoulder and is very tender.

And then there's Picanha:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
If you have never had Hanger Steak, you are missing out!

Well, apparently I'm missing out.

Huge flat iron steak fans here! We buy by the case now.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bald1,

For decades, I ate tri tip while living in CA; it was inexpensive, it was easy to marinate and grill, and it tasted good. But I hardly eat it anymore, converted to brisket when I moved to TX.

But other less popular cuts- I love outer skirt steak, use it for tacos, asian dishes, etc. And hangar steak is great also.

USDA Prime Tri-Tip

https://shop.creekstonefarms.c...s/usda-prime-tri-tip

USDA Choice TERES MAJOR (PETITE TENDER)

https://shop.creekstonefarms.c...products/teres-major

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
tongue

There's a large Hispanic population in the area, with lots of authentic taquerias around. So Lengua tacos/tortas are pretty common around here.

Yum!

quote:

Originally posted by DanH:
And then there's Picanha:

And, yes!

Tri-tip is very common out here in CA and most of the West, Costco will usually have both Prime and Choice along with pre-seasoned options available. Cook method usually is grilled with a simple rub and lots of turning; I've taken to smoking for about an hour, then finishing on the grill. Restaurants/fast-casual places will sell it as a sandwich.

As ElToro pointed out and in our household, rib-steaks were for special occasion given their higher cost, whereas tri-tip was either for backyard gatherings where not everyone was chowing down or, you wanted some beef but, weren't looking for a big hunk. I like having it in a steak-salad. When the weather is hot and you're looking for a not-overly filling meal but need some dead-red, a pasta bowl with spring greens, radish, slices of tomatoes & horseradish, olives, some onions, peppers and mushrooms and several slices of tri-tip makes for a solid meal.

Susie Q's is my go-to rub for tri-tip; they're located in the heart of where tri-tip came from: Santa Maria

As for lesser known cuts....now that everyone has discovered Flank and Skirt, the latest flavorful but easy to cook flat-cut has been Flap; although the prices on that cut have been escalating lately also

Always been a fan of oxtail and cheek-meat, super tasty options that'll enhance any stew recipe.

Sirloin Cap Steak aka Pichana is special and the queen of all steaks.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Your common list doesn't include NY Strip

It’s right at the top of the list along with Filet Mignon.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
If you have never had Hanger Steak, you are missing out!

Well, apparently I'm missing out.

It's delicious. Very beefy and tender. More common in Europe than here but has been becoming more popular in the past 20 years. There's only 2 per cow so it's not really common and easy to find. The only place I've ever found it is at Wegmans.

I worked in a fine dining restaurant in northern NJ right out of culinary school in 1997-1998 and they had it on the menu and it was a big seller.

IIRC it's the one of the steak types in the classic French Steak Frites dish.

They're kind of a unique long shape that you serve sliced:

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Everyone knows the common cuts, sold at most grocery stores and butchers:
Porthouse
T-bone
Flank
Ribeye
Chuck
Brisket
Sirloin
Ribs
etc.

...

So now I'm wondering... What else am I missing?

What are your favorite less common/unheard of cuts of beef, and how do you like to prepare them?

Skirt is similar to flank but fattier. Skirt is slightly better for fajitas and London broil.

Frankly both skirt and flank have become stupid expensive and I can routinely buy prime grade sirloin steak for less money. IMO, it's better on fajitas too.

quote:

But several years ago, I was introduced to Tri-Tip, a cut that I was unfamiliar with. I was immediately sold, since it represented what is effectively a small brisket that can be smoked in the exact same manner. You end up with hunk of smoked beef that's ~90% as good as a brisket with about 10% the time and effort.

Since discovering tri-tip, I've smoked exactly one brisket, and have no plans to do another anytime soon. The value for effort just isn't there compared to a tri-tip. Tri-tip is now my go-to.

I've lived in both California where tri-tip is the go-to beef BBQ cut and Texas where brisket is the go-to beef BBQ cut.

I love the tri-tip for speed and taste but I smoke it differently than a brisket. I also tend to use a Santa Maria seasoning (i.e. has onion powder, rosemary, and oregano in addition to normal brisket seasoning) instead of a Texas brisket seasoning. I smoke it at 225 to 250, but it's lean w/o connective tissue so I cook it to a medium-rare or medium doneness (I smoke brisket to 202 to 206). I'm essentially smoking a giant steak. Do you smoke your tri-tip to same doneness as brisket?

Have you tried cooking a chuck roast like a brisket? It's adjacent cut to the brisket and is fatty w/ connective tissue like a brisket. I cook it exactly like a brisket (i.e. 225 to 250 pit temp, same rub, 202 to 206 meat temp, make sure it probes well, etc). Chuck roasts advantage compare to brisket is it's only about 4 lbs so much less money, much less time, and a more manageable amount of leftovers. Chuck roasts advantage compared to tri-tip is it's a fatty cut like brisket so the final product is darn close. Chuck roasts disadvantage compared to tri-tip is it takes more time as it hits the stall since I'm cooking it way past medium (i.e. it's 4 to 6 hours total).

I know you listed sirloin. I usually think of steak or tri-tip when I think of sirloin. Cooking a sirloin roast like a tri-tip is good as well, and tends to be slightly less money per pound.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
IIRC it's the one of the steak types in the classic French Steak Frites dish.

Those dishes usually have a ribeye or, entrecôte, not unusual if a porterhouse, skirt or, London Broil is used.

Dishes like steak au poivre will use a tenderloin-cut like Filet Mignon, many restaurants will serve the Hanger steak instead to keep costs manageable and/or availability reasons. Both are really tender, Filets are just more uniform and presentable with a rich peppery-pan sauce...I'll take either. I'm also a fan of Bavette steak, which is Flank.

I'm hungry.